Fatehgarh Sahib (Punjab) (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused the BJP of spreading fear and hatred in the country, even as he asserted that India stood for "brotherhood, unity and respect" and that is why his 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' was "successful".
Gandhi was addressing people at Sirhind here before beginning Punjab leg of the Yatra.
"An atmosphere of hatred has been spread in the country. The BJP and RSS people are dividing the country, putting one religion against the other, one caste against the other, one language against the other And they have spoiled the atmosphere of the country," he alleged.
Therefore, we thought that the country needs to show another path, which is of love, unity and brotherhood, this is why we started this Yatra, he said.
The Congress leader said the Yatra has received an overwhelming public response and it got better as it crossed from one state to the other.
"There is a reason for this -- the hatred, fear and violence being spread by the BJP people, it is not the country's way and not its history. This country is of brotherhood, unity and respect. And this is why, this Yatra is successful," he said.
During the yatra, Gandhi said he learnt a lot as he spoke to farmers, small shopkeepers, labourers and unemployed youth.
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, Haryana Congress chief Bhupinder Singh Hooda, former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, among others, accompanied Gandhi in the Yatra.
The Gandhi scion earlier paid obeisance at Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib before the start of the Punjab leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
He sported a turban and wore a half-sleeved T-shirt to the place of worship.
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Auckland, Jan 11: Asitha Fernando and Maheesh Theekshana shared six wickets as Sri Lanka bowled out New Zealand for 150 runs in 29.4 overs to win the third one-day international by 140 runs here Saturday.
Fernando took 3-26 and Theekshana 3-35 to jointly knock the top off the New Zealand innings as it chased 291 for victory. Eshan Fernando also contributed 3-35 as Sri Lanka completed a comprehensive victory.
New Zealand won the three-match series 2-1 in its last matches at home before the ICC Champions Trophy begins in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates next month.
Earlier, Pathum Nissanka made 66 in an innings of two parts as Sri Lanka compiled 290-8 after choosing to bat first. New Zealand then slumped to 21-5 inside seven overs as Fernando helped Sri Lanka unpick the New Zealand top order.
“It's a huge confidence boost for me and for the team as well because we haven't played well in the first two games. It's a pleasure to play like this,” Fernando said.
“We identified a few areas to be improved (after the first two games). Now we are going straight back to work to continue improving day by day.”
Mark Chapman was the only New Zealand batter to stand against the chaos, making 81 at a run a ball. Chapman's 51-run partnership with Nathan Smith (17) for the eighth wicket was New Zealand's hope of making a game of it. The run rate never got away from New Zealand but it lost too many wickets early to seriously challenge Sri Lanka's total.
Nissanka reached 50 from 31 balls but almost immediately fell to the ground in pain from an apparent groin or hip strain.
He tried to bat on but was clearly impaired while running between wickets and was 50 not out when he was summoned from the field by Sri Lanka coach Sanith Jayasuriya to receive medical treatment.
Matt Henry took 4-55 for New Zealand.